Flagler lays out plan to hand over impact fee money

Monday

Jul 1, 2013 at 4:35 PMJul 1, 2013 at 8:57 PM

Palm Coast and Flagler County officials could sign an interlocal agreement regarding traffic impact fee money by the middle of the month — if both sides continue to work diligently to see that it happens.

JULIE MURPHYSTAFF WRITER

BUNNELL — Palm Coast and Flagler County officials could sign an interlocal agreement regarding traffic impact fee money by the middle of the month — if both sides continue to work diligently to see that it happens. County Administrator Craig Coffey said Monday during a workshop meeting that Palm Coast has scheduled a workshop meeting for July 9 and that the agreement is likely to return to the County Commission on July 15. "The gist is to give them the remaining funds and turn over Matanzas Woods Parkway (to the city of Palm Coast)," Coffey said. Some $3.5 million in impact fees became a bone of contention May 21 when Mayor Jon Netts and fellow City Council members discussed whether a lawsuit should be brought against the county to speed up the process. County officials have maintained that there is nothing contractual that obligates them to turn over the money or that it was being spitefully withheld. Coffey, in a letter to City Manager Jim Landon that was provided to county commissioners along with Monday's agenda, said, "the structure of the agreement is to provide you immediate financial resources for the projects you are undertaking by reimbursing you ..." Coffey said he expects this to happen in the next six months, with the first $1.5 million distributed almost immediately, the second $1.5 million in another six months, and the final payment of $500,000 paid after the Old Kings Road extension is completed. While commissioners didn't have much to say about the update, Palm Coast resident Dennis McDonald asked the county to put the matter on a ballot. "The city has been a poor steward of the money it has been given," McDonald said. "What I'd like to ask you to do (is to) put this to a vote of the people." Netts, who did not attend Monday's county workshop meeting, said later by phone that once the agreement is finalized "that's the end of the issue." "It seems like a reasonable compromise," he said. Netts said the impact fee money is necessary for the city to complete work on Palm Harbor Parkway and Old Kings Road extensions, which will connect them to Matanzas Woods Parkway. In doing so, traffic anticipated to come off Interstate 95 once the interchange at Matanzas Woods Parkway is completed would be diverted away from the high school and Forest Grove Drive. Most of the impact fee money would be spent on the Palm Harbor project and a small portion would be used for floodplain mitigation along the extended portion of Old Kings, city officials said in May. "We all want to get our projects done," Netts said of the road work. "We'd like to see those projects completed nearly simultaneously (with the interchange)."